Day 35: Chase in the Dark
The air inside the ruined building was thick with dust, the faint light of dawn barely piercing the gloom. Eli's heart raced as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, scanning the broken remains of what once might have been an office or a warehouse. The person they had chased had disappeared into the shadows, but Eli could feel their presence—watching, waiting.
Cass stood motionless beside him, her body tense, eyes sharp. Luke, bow in hand, kept close to the wall, his eyes darting nervously between the debris and the crumbling walls. The silence in the room was suffocating, broken only by the faint sound of shifting rubble beneath their feet.
"They're here somewhere," Cass whispered, her voice barely audible but filled with quiet intensity. "Stay close. Be ready for anything."
Eli swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around his knife as he tried to control his breathing. The weight of the unknown pressed down on him—whoever this person was, they had been listening to their conversation, and now they were hiding. If they had heard everything about the rain, about the plan, they could be a threat.
Luke drew an arrow, nocking it carefully as he took a cautious step forward. "Do you think they're armed?" he whispered, his voice shaky.
Cass didn't answer immediately, her eyes still sweeping the shadows for any sign of movement. "Could be. Whoever they are, they're fast. And they know these ruins better than we do."
Eli's pulse quickened as he peered into the dark corners of the room. The place was a maze of broken walls, overturned furniture, and piles of rubble. It would be easy for someone to hide, to wait for the perfect moment to strike.
Suddenly, a sound—a faint, barely perceptible scrape of something moving across the floor. Eli's head snapped toward the far side of the room, where a pile of debris had shifted slightly, just enough to catch his attention.
"There," Eli whispered, pointing toward the movement.
Cass moved quickly, her knife drawn as she approached the pile. Luke followed close behind, his bow drawn, ready to fire at the first sign of danger.
The room seemed to hold its breath as they closed in on the spot where the sound had come from.
Then, without warning, a figure burst from the shadows, sprinting toward the opposite end of the room. Eli barely had time to react before Cass lunged, her knife flashing in the dim light as she moved to cut off the escape.
The figure—tall and wiry, dressed in ragged clothes that blended into the surroundings—darted to the side, narrowly avoiding Cass's strike. They were fast, moving with a strange, almost feral agility as they dodged between the piles of rubble.
"Stop!" Cass shouted, her voice filled with frustration as she gave chase.
Eli and Luke sprang into action, following Cass as the figure weaved through the wreckage, heading for a narrow doorway at the far side of the room. Eli's breath came in short, sharp bursts as he pushed himself harder, trying to close the distance. Whoever this person was, they couldn't be allowed to escape—not when they knew so much.
The figure slipped through the doorway just as Cass reached it, but she was relentless. With a burst of speed, she grabbed the edge of the doorframe, swinging herself around and into the next room in one fluid motion. Eli and Luke followed, adrenaline surging through their veins.
The next room was smaller, darker, and filled with old, rusted machinery. The figure scrambled over a pile of debris, heading for a narrow gap in the far wall. Eli could see the desperation in their movements now—they were running out of places to hide.
Luke raised his bow, his hands trembling slightly as he aimed. "I've got a shot," he whispered, though his voice wavered.
"Don't kill them!" Cass snapped, her eyes locked on the fleeing figure. "We need answers."
Luke hesitated for a split second, then adjusted his aim. With a deep breath, he released the arrow. It flew through the air, striking the ground just inches from the figure's foot. The figure stumbled, losing their balance as they crashed to the floor in a heap.
Cass was on them in an instant, her knife pressed against the figure's throat before they could scramble to their feet. Eli and Luke rushed forward, surrounding the person as Cass held them down.
The figure—a young woman, no older than Eli or Luke—looked up at them with wild, terrified eyes. Her clothes were filthy, her hair matted, and her face streaked with dirt. She didn't look like a threat, but the fear in her eyes told Eli she wasn't harmless either.
"Who are you?" Cass demanded, her voice cold and unyielding. "Why were you listening to us?"
The woman didn't answer at first, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes darted between Cass, Eli, and Luke, as if calculating her next move.
"I… I wasn't spying," she stammered, her voice weak but defiant. "I was just passing through."
Cass pressed the knife a little harder against her throat, her expression darkening. "Don't lie to me. You've been watching us. You heard everything we said about the rain, about the trees. Now you're going to tell us what you know."
The woman swallowed hard, her eyes wide with panic. "Please," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I wasn't going to hurt you. I swear. I was just… trying to survive."
Eli crouched down beside Cass, his eyes searching the woman's face for any sign of deception. "You've been following us," he said quietly. "Why?"
The woman hesitated, her gaze flicking toward the door as if she was still looking for a way out. But she was cornered now, and she knew it. "I didn't mean to," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was just… curious. You're different from the others. You're prepared. You know things."
Cass's eyes narrowed. "And what do you know?"
The woman licked her dry lips, her breath coming in shaky gasps. "I know about the rain. I've seen it before."
Eli felt a chill crawl up his spine. "You've seen it? The acid rain?"
The woman nodded slowly, her eyes filled with a haunted look. "It happened once before. Not here, but farther south. The rain came, and everything… everything melted. People, creatures, everything. After it stopped, the plants grew. But they weren't normal. They were alive, moving, hunting."
Cass's grip on the knife tightened, though she didn't press harder. "Why didn't you warn us?"
The woman's voice broke, her fear spilling over into desperation. "I didn't know if you'd believe me. I didn't know if you'd help me. No one else listens. They think it's just another storm."
Eli exchanged a glance with Cass, his mind racing. This woman had seen what was coming—had survived it before. That made her valuable, but it also meant she was desperate, and desperation could make her dangerous.
Cass's expression softened slightly, though her voice remained cold. "We believe you. But if you want our help, you'll need to stay with us. No more running."
The woman nodded quickly, her eyes filled with relief. "I'll stay. I'll do whatever you ask. Just… don't leave me out there."
Cass slowly pulled the knife away from the woman's throat, though her gaze never left her. "We'll see."
Eli stood up, his heart still pounding from the chase, but a sense of uneasy calm settling over him. They had caught her, but the real question was: could they trust her?
Only time would tell.